A Fair Childhood
by WellBlessMyNippers
Summary: In Gongaga, while the boys are at school, the girls are kept at home to learn to be housewives. That's just the way it's always been done. Follows Zack and his little sister. One-shot. Warning: Contains OC


**A Fair Childhood**

In the forests on the outskirts of Gongaga there was a forgotten creek. Over this creek was an old wooden bridge, which had long since fallen into disrepair.

Laughter drowned out the birdsong as two children chased each other across it with a cheerfulness born of childhood recklessness.

The smaller of the two fell forward as her toes caught in a gap between two planks. Her arms flailed uselessly beside her and landed flat on her face. Her brother was at her side in an instant, brushing away tears and asking if she was all right.

He wiped the blood away for her cheek with his sleeve. Deciding the scrape wasn't bad, he smiled at her and ruffled her hair.

"Ay, you have to use your hands when you fall. Like this." He demonstrated by holding his arms out in front of him.

She just looked up at him, eyes beginning to well up with tears again.

"Don't cry," Zack said reassuringly and ruffled her hair. "Want me to carry you home for Mom to clean you up?"

She nodded slowly.

He turned around and crouched down, so she could reach his back. "Hop on."

* * *

"Can I go with you?"

Zack shook his head and pried the little hand off his backpack. "Sorry, Ay. You have your own stuff to learn here."

Her eyes welled with tears; brown cheek-length curls flew everywhere as she shook her head furiously. "But I want to go with Zack! Take me with you!"

He ruffled her hair. "Don't cry. I'll see you right after school, okay?"

Annya sniffled. "How long is 'after school'?"

"Not long. Before you know it, I'll be home and we'll be playing by the old bridge."

"You mean it?"

"I wouldn't lie to _you_, Ay."

She sniffled again. "Okay. I'll stay with Mum."

He beamed at her. "You won't even know I'm gone. You and mom will be doing too many awesome things."

She nodded.

"Bye, Ay."

"Bye bye, Zack." She gave him a pathetic little wave but he was already.

* * *

Zack tossed his bookbag onto the kitchen chair next to Mrs. Fair. "Hey."

"Good evening, Zacky! How was school?" his mother asked cheerily. "Would you like a snack?" She got up and moved to the fridge before he even answered.

"Yes, please," he said and waved to the table's other occupant.

Annya looked at him, chin-length curls bouncing as she turned her head and just huffed.

He smiled and sat in the chair next to her. A bunch of paint chips and drawings of various types of rooms were spread over the tabletop. He picked up a drawing of a living room. "What are you doing?"

She flicked a paint chip away from her. "Cordianting color swatchers for rooms."

"Coordinating color swatches," Mrs. Fair corrected lightly as she sliced some bread. She continued proudly, "We've started basics of interior design today. She's been doing well. She'll grow up to have a house that's the envy of the town. It's a lot of fun, right, Ay?"

Annya looked Zack dead in the eye. "It's stupid."

Zack laughed.

Mrs. Fair set a sandwich down in front of Zack. "Young ladies do not use that kind of language," she said sharply.

"Sorry, Mum." She flicked another paint chip.

* * *

Annya stirred the pot on the stove a few time before checking her roast in the oven. Collarbone-length curls were tied back so as not to fall in her face.

Zack sat at the kitchen table typing away on his laptop.

"How's your paper goin'?" she asked.

"It'll be ready for tomorrow. Otherwise, Mom'll kill me. How's dinner goin'?"

She looked at him and smiled. "It'll be ready for Dad getting home. Otherwise, Mum'll kill me."

He laughed.

"I can't take it anymore, Zack," she said suddenly.

He looked at her confused. "Take what anymore?"

"This." She gestured around the kitchen. "I don't want to be a housewife. I know I _have_ to be. I just don't _want_ to be."

Zack considered her for a moment. "Well, what do you want then?"

"I don't know. Not this." She wanted to go to school but didn't want to say it out loud. It seemed extra impossible now because she would already three years behind the boys her own age even if she was allowed to start.

Zack gave her a sympathetic smile. "It can't be that bad, Ay. None of the other girls seem to mind."

"I bet they do. They're just to afraid to say anything."

Zack's smile faltered.

She backpedaled. "Don't worry about it. It's no big deal."

She went to pick stir the pot again but accidentally knocked the saltshaker off the counter. Mrs. Fair rushed into the kitchen at the sound of shattering glass.

"What's going on?" she asked, worried. She spotted the broken saltshaker and sighed. "Oh, Annya, you stupid girl. It's always something with you. That saltshaker was part of a set I got for a wedding gift. I won't be able to replace it. Oh well, hurry up and clean it."

Annya was already sweeping up the mess, glaring as hard as she could at the busted saltshaker refusing to look at either her mother or Zack.

"You shouldn't call her stupid, Mom," Zack said quietly.

"Then she shouldn't act it. I mean really, did you know Mrs. Payne called today?"

Zack shook his head.

"Well, she did. To complain about how a certain girl was pelting stones at her son."

Annya emptied the scoop into the garbage and replace it and the brush back on their hook. "He was throwing them at the Neilsons' cat. I thought he'd like to see how it felt."

Mrs. Fair threw her arms up in exasperation then pointed towards the door of the kitchen. "Leave!"

"What about dinner?"

"I'll finish it. Go."

* * *

"Zack Fair, First Class SOLDIER and all around amazing guy, is going to end your villainy!" He brought his sword down in a wide arc.

The girl raised her sword to block his and cackled evilly. "I don't think so, Mr. Fair. You don't have what it takes!"

He dodged her blade by a hair's breadth. "Don't have what it takes! I'll have you know I'm the strongest Shinra has. Stronger than even Sephiroth!"

Annya stopped mid-lunge and her stick fell to her side. She tilted her head, confused. "What's a 'sephiroth'?"

Zack laughed. "Not 'what'. 'Who.'" He tossed his own stick to the ground and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a folded piece of glossy paper, quickly unfolded it and handed it to his sister.

She idly swirled her stick in the mud as she read it. It was a magazine article torn from _Shinra Monthly_ about Shinra's new wonderboy, Sephiroth. Even though he only just turned thirteen he was already Second Class as well as a high-ranking officer.

A picture accompanied the story, which she stared at for a long time. "He looks sad."

Zack was taken aback. "Sad? I don't think so. I think he's just playing it cool, you know?"

Annya didn't know.

* * *

"She's a little under four feet tall. Weighs about sixty-three pounds," Mr. Fair told the sheriff.

"Exactly three feet nine point four inches tall and sixty-two point seven pounds," Mrs. Fair sobbed from behind her husband.

"I got a picture!" Zack called triumphantly as he ran down the stairs. His eyed the sheriff suspiciously as he handed it to him. "Though from way everyone in town always talks about her behind her back, I would think most people already knew what she looked like."

The sheriff coughed uncomfortably. "Protocol son. For the reports, you know."

Zack looked at him unimpressed.

"Will you be able to find her?" Mr. Fair asked. Mrs. Fair gave a particularly loud sob.

"We'll try our hardest, sir. But to be honest, we don't even know if she's a runaway or if she's been abducted. That make it hard to know where to even start looking." The sheriff leaned towards Mr. Fair so only he could hear the next part. "Are you sure you're not better off though? The way she is and all."

Mr. Fair looked sternly at the sheriff. His only answer was, "Please do your best to find our daughter." He walked the sheriff to the door and bid him a goodnight.

As soon as the door was closed, Zack rushed to the closet to grab his coat.

"Where are you going, Zack?" his father asked coolly.

"I'm going to go find her."

Mrs. Fair wailed. "No, Zacky! I don't want both children murdered by serial killers!"

"No serial killers, Mom. She's all right. She called me." He pulled Annya's coat out of the closet as well.

Mrs. Fair stopped crying instantly. "She called you?"

"Yeah, from a payphone or something. Just to let me know she was okay."

"So she ran away? She wasn't kidnapped?"

"No, Mom."

Mrs. Fair looked like she was fighting an intense internal battle.

"Victoria, go make yourself a cup of tea to calm down," her husband ordered.

She left for the kitchen immediately.

Zack looked to his father. "You heard the sheriff. No one is going to bother looking for her if I don't go. Besides," he grinned, "I know all her best hiding spots."

Mr. Fair nodded his approval and Zack was out the door.

**xXxXxXx**

As Zack approached the old bridge he could already see the familiar form huddled underneath. He held out her coat as he got near her. "Aren't you cold, Ay?"

She sniffled but didn't take the coat. "A little bit."

He wrapped it around her shoulders before sitting down next to her. "It's the middle of winter. You should be a lot cold."

She went ahead and slipped her arms into the sleeves.

He smiled at her. "What are you doing out here?"

"Sittin'."

"And why are you sitting out here instead of somewhere warmer?"

"Because I don't have any friends whose houses I could run to."

Zack sighed. She wasn't going to cooperate so he decided he'd better just get to the point. "Come home with me, Ay."

"No. I'm too much of a burden because I'm so stupid."

He looked at her sadly. "Is that why you left? Mom, called you stupid again?"

She nodded slowly. "She sent me to the store to pick up eggs. I forgot to change out of my pants before I went."

Zack smiled sadly. Mom and Dad allowed her to wear pants on the condition that it was only in the house and only when there wasn't company. That didn't stop her from forgetting to change out of them on a regular basis. "Mom's just worried about you, you know."

She gaped at him in disbelief.

"She is. She's worried you'll never fit in."

Annya stared at her feet. "I don't want to fit in. But I don't want to be stupid either. So I'll just stay here forever. It's easier that way."

Zack stared off into the distance, thinking for a long moment. "I'll convince Mom and Dad to let you go to school if you promise to come home with me."

She looked at him forest green eyes wider than he'd ever seen. "Really?"

He smiled as widely as he could. "I promise. I mean, school is where you go to not be stupid right?"

"And," she hesitated, "you don't think you'll get in trouble?"

He shrugged. "You get into trouble all the time and that never stops you. I figure it must not be that bad."

She laughed as her eyes swelled with tears.

"Hey, you're not supposed to cry now!"

She hugged him as hard as she could. "Thank you, Zack."

"I'm your brother. What did you expect?"

* * *

Shoulder-length curls bounced every which way as Annya practically skipped alongside her brother. She had had to wait a few months for the start of the new year but it was finally here: her first day of school.

Zack laughed as she ran back to him because she had gotten so far ahead. "So, you're not nervous at all? Even though you're starting at fifth grade?"

"No! I've never been so excited!"

Zack was certainly nervous for her. The school had let her start with kids her own age instead of with the kindergarten on the condition that she accept responsibility if she failed because of it. Everyday since his parents agreed to let her go, Zack had spent time making sure she knew everything she would need to know so that wouldn't happen. But nothing could prepare her for the other children. She was going to be the only girl at the school and even wearing her most boyish clothes wouldn't be enough to help her escape notice.

Since they were in different grades, he would be able to stick by her before and after school as well as during breaks but she was completely on her own otherwise. He hoped she'd be okay on her own.

They arrived at the school building and he told her he'd walk her to her classroom. Every single person they passed was openly staring at her and whispering as she passed. Zack tried to glare them all down but she was too excited to care.

"Here's where I leave you. You sure you're gonna be okay?" He was starting to seriously regret his involvement in getting her here.

"I'll be fine." She beamed.

He smiled in spite of himself. "Good luck, Ay."

**xXxXxXx**

He didn't see Annya again till recess. Technically he was too old to be allowed on the playground but he could see her through the chainlink fence that separated the playground from the courtyard the older kids used.

She was playing kickball with a group of boys from her class. Not an organized game with rules of any kind, just kicking the ball at each other as hard as possible. They seemed to be targeting her specifically but she was gladly taking hits as well as dishing them out. That was a good thing he guessed.

"That's your sister then?" A voice interrupted Zack's vigil.

Zack looked to the newcomer. It was a boy from another class in his grade. Since his tone didn't sound particularly rude, Zack offered him a smile. "Hey, Lucian. Yup, that's my sister."

They looked at the playground. The game of kickball had devolved into a game of kick, where they just skipped the middleman and kicked each other in the shins.

"Hmm."

That was the most positive reaction he'd gotten all day.

* * *

Annya sat watching as President Shinra shook the newly appointed general's hand, congratulating and thanking the young man for his hard work.

Sephiroth thanked the president in turn for the opportunity and gave him a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"You're still watching it?" Zack asked, sitting next to her on the couch. "He was promoted two days ago."

She shrugged. "They're the ones that keep rerunning it."

"That doesn't mean you have to watch it every time."

"I only put it on because my show was on commercial," she said defensively.

"Uh-huh." He reached into his pocket and tossed something small and shiny at her.

Annya held it up to reveal a necklace. She watched the green stone sparkle in the light and smiled sweetly. "It's so pretty. Thank you, Zack."

"I didn't give it to you because it's pretty. I gave it to you so you could protect yourself."

"With a necklace?" she deadpanned.

"It's a fire materia."

"Really?" She looked back at the green stone with a new appreciation.

He smiled. "Really. And I'm gonna teach you how to use it. In case I can't always be with you."

Annya looked startled at this. "Of course you'll always be with me."

Zack looked a bit guilty.

"Zack?"

"Remember how I told you I wanted to join SOLDIER?"

"Yeah."

"I meant it. It still won't be for a few years but I really plan on going to Midgar one day."

She looked down at her feet so he couldn't see her face. When she looked back up, she was smiling broadly. "Sephiroth better watch out because you're gonna be the best SOLDIER ever."

* * *

"Are you still mad at me?"

"Yes, you butt."

"I didn't mean to. It was an accident."

She blew a raspberry at him. "You were so busy trying to get rid of the evidence of your porn that you deleted my research paper. I have to retype the whole thing, Zack."

Zack held up the paper bag he was holding. "Will this get me out of trouble?"

She eyed the bag suspiciously. "What is it?"

"Look and find out."

She accepted the bag and peeked inside. "Oh."

"Well?"

"You're forgiven."

He smiled triumphantly. "I don't know how that always works. All you ever do is complain about how he always fakes his smiles."

"Just because I wouldn't mind seeing him actually happy for once, doesn't mean he's not still ridiculously good looking."

He rolled his eyes and left her to her prize.

Once, he was gone she pulled the sleek _Shinra Monthly_ magazine out of the bag. It was the special issue photo shoot with General Sephiroth.

* * *

"Can I go with you?"

Zack shook his head. "Sorry, Ay. That's not a good idea. I'll be too busy with SOLDIER and Midgar's no place for a fourteen-year-old on her own. Besides, we can't both leave Mom and Dad."

Her eyes welled with tears; brown mid-back length curls rustled as she turned away so he wouldn't see. "I guess not."

He rest is hand on her head. "Don't cry. I'll see you at Christmas, okay?"

Annya blinked back the tears. "That such a long time from now."

"It's not too long. Before you know it, I'll be home."

She nodded though she didn't really agree.

"I'll make sure I get the General to smile while I'm there."

She smiled at that. "You mean it?"

"I wouldn't lie to _you_, Ay."

She wiped her eyes. "Okay. I'll hold you to it."

He beamed at her and winked. "I'll bring him home with me if I can."

She laughed.

"Bye, Ay."

"Bye, Zack." She hugged him one last time and just like that he was gone.

* * *

**Author's Note: **If you've read my other story, _What Makes a Monster_, this story is canon to that.


End file.
